Children, the media and COVID-19: doing research in difficult times

After a series of cautionary measures, New Zealand went into full lock-down (Level 4) in response to COVID-19 on March 25, 2020. In the often-repeated words of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, ‘We went early and we went hard’. All forms of education retreated to virtual spaces and for the youngest students, learning was complemented by a new educational TV channel on Television New Zealand. For www.parenting.digital, Dr Geoff Lealand talks about the challenges of doing research during the COVID-19 lockdown and how children’s media played an important role for children living through a global crisis.